Let It Be Captured (Deidara Love Story)
by HaleyLaneHavok
Summary: Kimara has met her last resort: joining the Akatsuki, an organization filled with all the enemies she despises most. She constantly questions her decision, but what lies in store for her? Things she never even dreamed of. (Story orginally posted on my Quotev account)
1. Chapter 1: Join Me

_ "__Kimara, the legendary Yokai from the Konoha village, wanting to join the Akatsuki."__ Pein, the leader of the antagonist organization known as the Akatsuki, stood before the young girl.  
"That's right, sir," she shakily responded in the harshest voice she could muster, standing firm, as she always did.  
She refused to show weakness or fear, though in reality she knew that this organization could doubt her intents and kill her at any moment. Though she was strong and possessed a sacred power know as Mirrogyan, she barely had a handle on it and she knew that she would not stand a chance against all nine of the members.  
"Tell me," Pein went on, "why do you have this sudden change of heart?" he was nearly skeptical.  
"I can sense that you don't believe that this offer is serious," Kimara began. "To be honest, joining this evil operation is the last thing I wanted to do, but it's dawned on me that I have no choice."  
"Oh?"  
"Yes, sir. As you may know, my father turned out to be a traitor and an affiliate with Orochimaru-"  
"Yes, Kimara," Pein interrupted. "I know all about your father leaving you with Orochimaru and you escaping him before he had a chance to experiment on you. Also, I know your father ended up betraying the village years afterward.  
"You must know that, since you have such a rare gift, we have learned everything there is to know about you and there's something that might interest you. You probably know already that Orochimaru has being trying to recapture you ever since you got away and his biggest fear is that you will learn to control your Mirrogyan before he has the chance to do so. If that happens, he'll have no hope of catching you.  
"He might try to bargain with you, just as he has done with Sasuke Uchiha, but you should know that it's just a trick. In the Akatsuki, we can keep you hidden and attempt to teach you to unlock your power. But, if this turns out to be some sort of trickery, we won't hesitate to kill you and extract the Mirrogyan essence from your body."  
Pein's last words were harsh and it caused a single sweat drop to fall down her face. She had known the risks of the decision at the very beginning, with just the very thought of leaving her village, but hearing how this intimidating, demon-eyed man put it so strictly made her nervous.  
"Pein," she paused a moment, taken by the fact that she'd actually called him by his name. "Everything you just said sums up why I'm doing this. My father was a traitor, so everyone in the village looks down upon me, even if they won't admit it, and ever since I escaped Orochimaru he's been chasing after me. It's getting kind of hard to run all the time.  
"Besides, my powers are getting stronger and I still barely have a handle on them. I'm worried about my friends, because sometimes I have - episodes. I don't want anything to happen to them, even if that means I have to switch sides."  
Though the Leader seemed less than moved, it seemed he actually understood. He knew this girl wasn't bad and that she only looked out for others, even though he could tell there was a darkness hidden inside her. A part of him was very hesitant to allow her into their inner circle, but another part of him was rationalizing that this was a golden opportunity to have one of the most powerful humans on the planet in league with them.  
"Alright, Kimara, I will give you a chance. I have no doubt that you are being truthful of your reasons, but we can't be too careful, you understand."  
She nodded.  
"Very well," Pein responded. "I will have your cloak and ring sent to your room when I have them ready. Until then, you will be sharing a room with the only other female member, Konan, and I'm placing you on a team with two members that I think may be able to assist you with your powers, until further notice."  
"Okay, who are they?" Kimara questioned curiously.  
"Deidara and Tobi. Beware, they are a bit much to handle, but I think that they will be an asset to you."  
"Oh, okay," she assured him, not very confident in her words. "Where's this room at, anyway?"  
"Here."  
Pein retracted a folded piece of paper from inside his cloak, handing it to Kimara. She opened it up and saw that it appeared to be a layout of the place.  
"It's a layout of this hideout," he explained. "This is your room." he pointed to one of the small rooms on a hallway.  
"Alright." Kimara folded the paper back and bowed lightly to the man before her.  
Without another word, Kimara walked out of Pein's room and closed the door behind her. To either side of her were dark hallways that seemed to lead into an abyss. Quickly, she pulled out the map and rustled with it a moment before it opened. She tried to track where she was and roughly estimated that the room she was looking for was to the left and down a variety of other halls. With a small sigh, she took off into darkness, hoping she wouldn't freak herself out before she made it to her room.  
As she walked, all she could think about was what her new roommate was going to be like and also what her two new teammates were going to be like. Deidara was not an unfamiliar name to her, for she'd heard of his havoc-reeking even back at the Hidden Leaf village. Though she'd never actually seen him in person, she'd seen his picture in the Bingo Book and read of how dangerous he was. Tobi, on the other hand, was always made out to be some mysterious imbecile that did little to contribute. Either way, the sheer thought of not knowing frightened her.  
She figured she'd find out soon enough, so she pushed the thought aside and looked up. Just then, a face was miraculously in front of hers, scaring her so bad that she nearly jumped to the ceiling.  
The person before her was a tall man with silver, slicked-back hair and pinkish eyes. He had the back of his hands pressed on his sides and he was staring oddly down at Kimara with one eyebrow raised.  
"What the fuck is this?" he sneered to himself.  
Kimara's face blushed bright red and she twitched, a slight rage filling her.  
"Hey! Is that any way to talk to a lady!"  
"Psch, I don't see one here." he smirked, crossing his arms.  
Kimara let out a sharp growl and slapped the man square across the face. He coddled his bruised cheek in pain and screamed,  
"Bitch! What the hell was that about!?"  
"You were asking for it." she also crossed her arms and looked away from him.  
This strange, outspoken, and very pissed off Akatsuki member mumbled cursedly to himself, then looked down to gaze at Kimara once more. It was then that his eyes grew ever so slightly and a "hm" of realization escaped his lips.  
"Hey, I know you," he said, causing Kimara to look at him. "You're the Yokai, right?"  
"Uh, yeah." she was a bit surprised that he knew just by her face. "I have a name, you know." she grimaced.  
"Not that it matters, but what is it?"  
"You know, you're kind of an asshole," she quietly remarked. "My name's Kimara."  
"I'm Hidan," he replied.  
"Look, sorry for smacking you. Can you help me find this room?" she held her map out to him and pointed to the room she was assigned.  
"Ha-ha! That's Konan's room! Yeah, I know where it is, but, listen, I think you'd feel much more comfortable in my room." he took her by the shoulders and chuckled deviously.  
Once again, Kimara's face burned with red and she laid her palm against his cheek once more.  
"Can you take me there or not!" she growled.  
"Yeah, yeah, I can take ya." he rubbed his cheek again and whimpered, "Stupid bitch."  
Neither of them said anything else, instead exchanging a small, dagger-filled glare.  
"Come on," Hidan sighed, placing one hand behind his head and walking forward.  
Kimara followed after him, nearly reluctantly, hoping that this man wasn't going to, say, kidnap her and take her back to his room where she'd "feel much more comfortable". Luckily, they only rounded a few more corners before Hidan stopped short, causing her to bump into him. He turned to stare at her idiocy, as he sighed again.  
"Here it is."  
"Oh, thanks, Hidan." Kimara bowed lightly, just as she'd done with the Leader, because, even though she had little respect for anyone else, she knew when to act accordingly.  
"Whatever. I guess I'll see ya around." he waved two fingers at her and took off back down the hall.  
For a moment, Kimara watched Hidan walk off and when he was gone she looked back to the door. It looked just like all the others doors in the hideout, but this one in particular made her nervous. She couldn't believe that she was getting so worked up over something so stupid, but her heart wouldn't cease to race. She wasn't sure if anyone would be inside, but she didn't take a chance and rapidly knocked on the door a few times. No answer. She reached down for the knob and slowly twisted it, creaking the door open so she could look inside.  
As she realized that no one was inside, she stepped hesitantly in and began to survey the small room. There were two neatly-made beds on either side of the room and there were small origami pieces lying all around. She stepped in further and knelt down to pick one up. It was a tiny flower that nearly looked real, which quite impressed Kimara. She placed the tiny flower back onto the floor and looked up to see a small drawer that rested in between the two beds. On top of the drawer, there was a comb and some hair clips, along with a framed picture of three young kids. Kimara walked to the picture and lifted it up to look at it closer. Immediately, she recognized the face of Konan, of whom she'd also seen in the Bingo Book. One of the others in picture was very obviously Pein, but she couldn't exactly identify the other boy in the photo.  
"Hey," a voice suddenly called from the doorway. "What are you doing in here?"  
Kimara jumped and dropped the picture, racing to catch it before it hit the floor, which she managed to do. Quickly, she placed it back on the drawer and looked to confront whoever had called her out.  
"Konan?" Kimara questioned, only able to see a silhouette.  
Someone stepped forward, revealing blue hair, orange eyes, and a small labret piercing. Kimara instantly knew that it was her, so she didn't even have to answer.  
"My name's Kimara," she went on, as Konan stepped closer. "Pein told me I'd be staying with you. I hope that's alright."  
Konan paused before responding, scanning Kimara over for a moment.  
"Yes, Nagato informed me that you might be coming."  
"Informed you?"  
"That's right. We've had our eye on your for a while, you know." she smiled ever so slenderly.  
"Right." Kimara looked down, suddenly feeling regret and second-guessing if she'd made the wrong decision.  
Konan peered over to the girl and felt a bit of sympathy for her. This wise young woman knew that Kimara was confused and she couldn't help but want to comfort her.  
"Hey, you said your name was Kimara, right?" Konan asked abruptly.  
Suddenly, Kimara perked up and she stared Konan straight in the eyes, as if to question her silently.  
"You - called me Kimara?" she blinked with confusion.  
"That is your name, isn't it?"  
"Well, yes, but usually people call me the Yokai."  
"Yokai, huh?" Konan smiled again. "That means Suspicious Demon, doesn't it? That's what most people refer to you as, just because they have no idea what causes your powers. Some people think that it's a demon inside you, but most people have no clue.  
"I personally think you should be called by your real name. After all, you are still a human being."  
Kimara suddenly welled with joy and acceptance. She thought all the Akatsuki members were cruel, evil, and vicious, but she had no idea that they could be so caring and understanding. All she could do was look up to this woman as of that very moment.  
"I really appreciate that, Konan," she praised her. "Oh, by the way, did you make all these origami figures?"  
Konan nodded.  
"Do you think you could teach me?" Kimara asked.  
"Sure."  
Konan picked up some clean paper and handed one piece to Kimara. She spent almost an hour teaching her the proper folding technique and it really helped to pass the time and make Kimara feel a little less awkward about the whole situation.  
"So," Konan spoke up after a while, as the two of them were now folding out various origami pieces left and right. "Who are you going to be partnered up with?"  
"Tobi and Deidara, I think," she replied, biting her tongue and making a tiny fold to form the tip of a bird wing.  
"Hm, those two are a lot to deal with. You'll be crazy by the first mission." Konan joked, folding a flower pedal, forming a flower just like the one in her hair.  
"That's what I've heard. I hope it won't be too bad." Kimara joked in return, finishing the small bird and tossing it to the floor, which was now covered with paper.  
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Konan gently laid her flower down and walked delicately to the door, opening it with a flash. Standing there was a familiar face; Hidan.  
"Hidan," Konan simply said, acknowledging him.  
"Hey, Konan," he replied, averting his eyes. "Pein sent me here to let Yokai here know that she has her first little assignment tomorrow morning."  
"What! Already?" Kimara spat.  
Hidan looked around Konan's shoulders to stare at Kimara.  
"Damn, you're a whiny little bitch."  
Kimara growled,  
"And you're a perverted bastard."  
The two of them glared lightening at each other, with Konan stuck in between them.  
"Anyways," Kimara howled. "What am I supposed to do?"  
"He said something about it being really simple. I think he said you guys were going to a place called the Despair Forest to find a stone for your stupid ring, or some shit," Hidan partially explained.  
"My ring?"  
"You fucking idiot, don't you know? We all have rings that allow us to seal demons." Hidan held up his hand and pointed to the ring on his left index finger. "They're pretty hard to make and each one is unique. You need several components to make one, so you're going to have to do some of the work."  
"I got it, Hidan." she grimaced.  
Konan suddenly slammed the door in his face before he had the chance to say anything else. She turned to Kimara and gave her an odd glance, as if to apologize for Hidan's behavior.  
"I should probably get some sleep," Kimara said.  
"Yes," Konan agreed, while Kimara pulled off her sandals.  
She felt a little odd in this new place, so she decided to sleep in her clothes for the night. She pulled the covers back and Konan did the same, dropping her cloak to the floor and walking to the closet in the room, slipping on her sleeping clothes. Kimara cuddled up in her comfy new bed and closed her eyes, hoping the next day wouldn't come quickly, for she dreaded it.  
"Hey," Konan suddenly spoke, just as she turned the light out. "This place won't be as bad as you think. I know you feel bad about deceiving your village, but I have a feeling your intents were more noble than you take credit for.  
"Anyway, have a good rest, Kimara." she finished her speech and then everything went quiet._re...


	2. Chapter 2: Nowhere To Run

The whole night Kimara hardly got any sleep. She was awake all night, tossing and turning while listening to the bleak silence that lingered throughout the whole place. Something about the place felt eerie and she didn't like it at all, especially with the thought that there were about eight other members that she knew nearly nothing about, other than what she had read about them, which typically wasn't much.

_She couldn't even tell if the sun had come out, since there were no windows in the place, but something told Kimara that it was time to get up. Just as she thought that, Konan was quickly standing over her bed, lightly shaking her by the shoulder. Kimara turned to face her and noticed that she was back in her cloak and fully ready for the day.  
"It's time to get up, Kimara."  
"Th-thanks, Konan," Kimara yawned. "Hey, is there a bathroom around here?"  
"It's the door directly across the hall." she pointed to the door.  
"Thanks."  
Konan stepped away, leaving Kimara to get up on her own. Kimara rubbed her tired face and tried to clench her bladder in, while she rolled out of bed and struggled to get her balance. Though she was wobbly, she dashed to the door, threw it open, and tossed herself into the open bathroom a few feet away. She locked the door and flipped on the light.  
Once she was done with her bladder situation, she stood to look in the mirror. She splashed some cold water onto her face and walked back to Konan's room to comb out her hair and slip on her sandals, along with her belt of scrolls, which had fallen off as she slept.  
"Hey, Konan? Where exactly am I supposed to go to meet the others?"  
"Oh, yes, I meant to tell you that I went to speak with Nagato this morning and he said that you all are to meet in the forest just outside of here."  
"Okay, thanks, Konan. I need to head out then."  
"Here, I'll walk you to the exit."  
Konan lead her all the way through the confusing passageways until the two had reached sunlight. They were standing on a rocky cliff that overlooked a dense forest. Kimara peered over the edge and saw just how long of a way down it was. It would have frightened her if she didn't already know that it was only an illusion of sorts, making the drop look higher, and she could easily jump without getting a scratch on her.  
Kimara gave Konan one last glance and hopped off the edge of the cliff, flying down and landing lightly on her feet, stirring up dust. She looked forward at the small trail that lead into the forest and hesitated.  
"I guess I just walk until I find them," she stated aloud. "Although, this could be a lot easier," she thought deviously, pulling one of the scrolls from her belt.  
Within a flash, she unrolled the scroll, pricked her finger, and spread the blood across the scribbled writing. Then she slammed it onto the ground and formed the quick hand signs.  
"Summoning jutsu!" she shouted, slamming her palm to the ground.  
In a flash of smoke, a huge lion appeared and gave a ferocious roar.  
"Hey, Kyo." she smiled, as the Lion came to nuzzle her.  
"Hello, Kimara." Kyo replied without moving his lips, for Kimara was the only one who could hear him.  
"Mind carrying me down this trail?"  
"Not at all."  
Kimara smiled and hopped on the oversized lion's back, as he took off racing down the trail. Though Kimara had to keep a sharp eye out for her teammates, whom she only had a faint description of, the adrenaline rush made her giggle and shout with glee. She loved getting lifts from Kyo, because it was just so damn fun. He ran so fast and the wind blew so tenderly by her flustered cheeks.  
After a few minutes, two silhouettes appeared in the distance.  
"Hey," Kimara shouted to Kyo, "I think that's them up there!"  
"Hang on tight, Kimara!" Kyo responded.  
The girl narrowed her eyes to get a better look and she saw that one of them, who she presumed to be Deidara, was sitting at the base of a tree. He had blonde hair that appeared to have a clump tied up in the back and he seemed to have a less-than satisfied expression. The other person, presumably Tobi, was chasing a butterfly in an idiotic fashion.  
As soon as they heard the signifying roar of Kyo, both of them looked in Kimara's direction. Just as they did, Kyo dashed by them and sent the leaves whirring around, as he jumped sideways and skidded to a halt.  
"Ah, Sempai! What was that?" a shrill voice cried out.  
The two boys searched through the dust that was slowly clearing and soon Kimara's image became clear. They saw a puff of smoke dissipate and the huge lion that had rode the girl in was now gone, leaving her standing with her hands on her hips. When her body became clear, the boys quickly looked her over, all the way from her black sandals, to her tiny black shorts belted with scrolls, to the red shirt that came just above her bellybutton, pausing just as her squinted violet eyes and snow-white hair became visible.  
"So, this is the Yokai. Hm." Deidara thought to himself with a smirk.  
"Ah! Who's this girl, Sempai? She's kind of cute." Tobi held one finger up to where his mouth would be, since it was hidden by a mask, and shook his body from side to side in a childish manner.  
"Be quiet, Tobi!" Deidara growled, smacking him over the head.  
Kimara walked forward as Deidara stood to his feet. She stopped just shy of the two and stared at them, shifting her eyes from one to the other, thinking to herself of how nonthreatening they looked in person.  
"You must be Kimara, hm," Deidara spoke up in a charming tone.  
"That's right," she confirmed. "You must be Deidara and you must be-"  
"Tobi!" he cut her off annoyingly.  
"Right." she glared at him. "Anyway, let's get this stupid thing over with."  
Kimara walked past them with her fingers interlace behind her head.  
"Wait!" Tobi cried out. "Don't you want to get to know each other or something, I mean, we are teammates now!"  
"Don't really care." Kimara kept walking.  
"Great," Deidara sighed, "she's one of those people. Hm."  
Deidara began to walk after her, while Tobi danced around in a manic for a second then chased after them.  
They all walked in silence, though Kimara was a few steps ahead of the others. Tobi was merrily humming to himself, annoying both Deidara and the short-tempered girl that was now on their team.  
"So, you guys know where to find this stone?" Kimara asked.  
"Why should I know? It's your stupid ring, hm." Deidara commented.  
"Whatever, I'll find it myself."  
"Deidara, this girl seems mean!" Tobi tried to whisper, but his words came out loud and obnoxious, as always.  
She paused and they paused too.  
"Look, I'm sorry." she struggled to say those words. "I'm not exactly 'fond' of people like you."  
"People like us? Oh, come on, we're not so bad!" Tobi squealed.  
Deidara stepped quickly forward to come side-by-side with Kimara and looked over at her, though she didn't do the same.  
"What do you mean 'people like us'?" his curiousity was a bit peaked.  
"You're the bad guy and I'm not. In fact, the only reason I joined your trashy little organization is because I was scared of something bad happening to my friends and I couldn't live with myself if I was the one to cause them pain." she admitted, her eyes lowering with sadness.  
Her arms dropped from the back of her head and landed limply by her sides. It seemed that every time she thought about it the disgracefulness of her actions hit her all over again. Deidara couldn't help but stare intently at her, trying to figure out what was going on inside her head.  
"But, hey," Kimara yelled, quickly wiping her arm across her face. "I don't owe you any explanation!"  
They all went silent again and continued on into the forest._


	3. Chapter 3: Breaking

**_ All of two hours passed by and Kimara had no idea where they were, but she'd noticed that the trees had gotten taller and thicker, causing everything around them to turn darker._**  
**_ "Hey, look Deidara!" Tobi suddenly called out, pointing forward and jumping around._**  
**_ Both Deidara and Kimara turned their attention to where Tobi was pointing and saw a demonically glowing stone in the distance._**  
**_ "Is that it?" Kimara questioned._**  
**_ "Looks like it," Deidara responded._**  
**_ "Oh, that's an ominous looking rock, Deidara! I've never seen a ring made of something that scary!" Tobi shrieked._**  
**_ "You idiot," Deidara mocked. "The ring has to be able to harness the power of the wearer and, since Kimara has such strong powers, it has to be made of even stronger components."_**  
**_ Kimara listened intently, having not known that herself. In the slightest manner she felt ever so flattered at what Deidara had said about her powers._**  
**_ The trio walked over to the glowing red stone and stared over it, observing its' aura._**  
**_ "How do we get it?" Kimara asked._**  
**_ "We just need a bit of it," Deidara answered, not particularly answering her question._**  
**_ "Well, then let's get it!" Tobi swiftly pulled out a kunei and stabbed down towards the rock._**  
**_ "Tobi, stop!" Deidara called, but it was too late._**  
**_ As soon as Tobi's blade came down upon the rock, it instantly sent him flying backwards within a flare of sparks. Kimara watched in awe, while Deidara just smacked his face with his hand._**  
**_ "He's not very bright, is he?" Kimara laughed._**  
**_ "You have no idea. Hm." Deidara replied._**  
**_ Kimara turned to the stone and let the glow sparkle off her eyes, as Deidara went to retrieve Tobi, whom had been thrown several feet away. She was staring at it with fascination, trying to figure out the strange chakra it was giving off; it seemed familiar. It was almost as if it was calling to her. _**  
**_ She held her bandaged left arm up and thought to herself. She concentrated her chakra into that arm and focused intently on nothing but the stone's aura, connecting with it. Suddenly, not only did her arm harbor all her strongest chakra, but it also began to sting and give off the same aura as the stone. An eerie red glow came around it she knew that she could now touch this odd stone._**  
**_ Deidara, whom had helped Tobi up, got sight of her actions and watched curiously, focusing entirely on her. She reached out, passed the seeming barrier that protected the stone, and placed her palm onto it. A small slab of it came right off in her hand and she pulled it away. Deidara and Tobi quickly rushed over to her to stare in a dumbfounded fashion. Kimara was a bit surprised with herself as well._**  
**_ "How did you do that?" Tobi squealed._**  
**_ "Really. Hm." Deidara whispered to himself._**  
**_ "I - don't know," she claimed, staring at the piece in her palm._**  
**_ Her arm ceased its glowing and so did the rock. She placed it into the pouch near her hip and turned to her partners._**  
**_ "And that's how it's done, boys." she smirked, self-assured, striding past them._**  
**_ "Wow! Did you see that, Deidara?" Tobi screamed._**  
**_ "Shut up!" Deidara growled, smacking Tobi harshly._**  
**_ Deidara stormed off after Kimara and Tobi did the same. Still, she kept a few feet in front of them both and both of them couldn't keep themselves from watching her curves bounce from side to side. Although, Tobi was much less discrete about it._**  
**_ "So," Kimara spoke up, "what else do we need for this ring?"_**  
**_ There was no answer. She peered out from the corner of her eye and saw the two boys acting very pig-like behind her back and it made her blush ferociously and seethe. She walked a few more steps, then swiftly turned and kicked both of them across the face with one swing._**  
**_ "I asked a question!"_**  
**_ Tobi landed onto Deidara, crying like a hurt puppy, while Deidara rubbed his cheek in a dissatisfied manner and threw Tobi away from his body._**  
**_ "That's all we were sent to get. The Leader will handle the rest, hm."_**  
**_ "Good. I'm tired, let's get back."_**  
**_ "You know," Deidara said, reaching into a pouch at his side. "I have a much faster way of getting there."_**  
**_ There was an obscene squishing noise coming from his hand and he quickly retracted a tiny clay bird. He tossed it to the ground and held up two fingers, transforming it ten times its' original size._**  
**_ "If you think I'm getting on that thing, you have lost your fucking mind." Kimara rejected immediately._**  
**_ "Come on, Kimara-chan, it's not so bad!" Tobi argued merrily._**  
**_ "No way. I'll just walk back." _**  
**_ "Suit yourself. Hm." Deidara said, jumping onto the massive bird's back. Tobi climbed up as well._**  
**_ "Deidara, we're not just going to leave her, are we?" Tobi complained._**  
**_ "Why shouldn't we? She wants to walk, let her walk. Hm." he replied in a snooty manner, looking to the sky. _**  
**_ Kimara watched them take off, the clay talons of the bird kicking dust up all over her clothes and in her face. She coughed perversely, wiping out her eyes, while the bird rose higher and higher._**  
**_ "Whatever. I was part of the Anbu Black Ops, of course I can find my way back to the stupid hideout."_**  
**_ She began walking back in the direction they'd come, trying to follow the clad trail that was obscurely plated along the forest. Unfortunately, it wasn't very accurate and, to be honest, Deidara had lead pretty much the entire way there. In all honestly, her best bet would have been to take Deidara's clay bird back, because, not only would it have been faster and easier, but she also wouldn't be getting herself totally lost in an unfamiliar territory. She contemplated summoning Kyo to take her back or even just walk with her so she wouldn't be so alone, but it was late and Kyo had done more than enough for her over the past few days. There were no options._**  
**_ About an hour into her walk, Kimara began to realize that it was getting dark and it was almost as if she'd been walking in circles. Everything looked the same in every direction, it was becoming colder, and Kimara's mind was too wound up in other things to focus on tracking her way back. She wished she'd thought to pack a bag to bring along, so she'd have something to snack on or a jacket on hand to keep her warm, but she never imagined that such a "simple" mission could end up this troublesome._**  
**_ Huddling her arms around her chest, she shivered intensely and was forced to squint her eyes in order to see ahead of her. All of a sudden, several shadowy figures starting coming miraculously into view, startling her to the point of stopping dead in her tracks. They all got closer and she quickly realized there were a lot of them, all visibly strong and very vicious-looking. Nothing more than rogue bandits were they, but they instantly had Kimara surrounded._**  
**_ She spun around, feeling nearly claustrophobic and small in comparison to these huge men. They all wore twisted smirks and grunted sickly, gawking at her like a piece of meat. All of them slyly moved in closer and closer, blocking off all views except for the desolate sky above, and forming a sort of barrier._**  
**_ The seeming "leader" of the gang stepped into the inner circle, standing toe-to-toe with Kimara. He was tall and slender, with rustled hair and a bandage over his nose, obviously from it being broken previously at some point. He reached out and took Kimara roughly by the chin, staring her straight in the eyes, cataloging her over and grinning widely._**  
**_ "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"_**


	4. Chapter 4: Past

_The nighttime bled down on her as she stood among the forest alone, cold, and surrounded by a pack of wandering bandits. She'd refused to ride along with Deidara and Tobi when they'd taken off on Deidara's giant clay bird and she'd regretted that decision ever since they'd actually left her alone. Some teammates they were. Though, she hadn't exactly been courteous to either of them since the moment they met.  
Normally, these lowly bandits would be a mere flick of the wrist for her, but the combination of this unfamiliar terrain, the cold, tired demeanor she had after hours of walking, and the whole feel of this uncomfortable situation left her less focused than usual.  
"So, what do we have here?" the leader of the bandits harked.  
Everyone behind him laughed, as he threw her face to the side.  
"Get away from me," she bleakly said, clenching her fists and preparing to fight.  
She was weak at the moment, no doubt, but she couldn't show it. Not now. Just then, one of them surprise attacked her from behind, cracking his elbow into her neck and knocking her unconscious.  
Faintly, in her mind, she could hear shouting and struggling, among other noises. Everything that made way into her ears forced a throbbing pressure into her head, making her dizzy, even in her unconsciousness. She prayed that she would just fully black out, so she could feel and hear nothing; so it wouldn't hurt as it did now.  
Fortunately, she quickly got her request, but not before a loud explosion-like sound practically shattered the fraction of her head that didn't already ache. After that, she was utterly disbanded from reality._

Kimara had no idea how long she'd been knocked out or what had happened while she was incapacitated. She ascended slowly back into reality, out of the dark visions of her father that had fluttered around while she was asleep. There was a cold and firm setting below her, yet something made of fabric rested over her like a blanket, shielding her from the cold and keeping her warm, which she'd so longed for earlier.  
For a moment, she wondered if she were back at the hideout in her own bed, but she quickly realized that it wasn't a very good possibility. Swift air blew by her cheeks, so she tugged whatever was covering her up further to warm her face, as she turned over onto her side. She didn't want to open her eyes at all, instead preferring to just ignore everything that had happened and get some well-earned rest, but she knew she had to see what was going on. After all, she could be getting kidnapped by those bandits at the very moment! That idea seemed a little farfetched, but she couldn't be too careful.  
With an awing groan, she stayed still and slowly creaked her eyes open, everything still spinning around like a whirlpool. Things around were still dark, so she concluded that she'd either not been out for very long or she'd been out for days. One seemed more plausible than the other. Strings of clouds suddenly became clear in the darkness and she caught on instantaneously that the night sky was the backdrop that was all around her.  
A racing heartbeat caused her to prop herself up on her palm and look around. Nothing but the sky. She looked below her and noticed the familiar texture of the bird that Deidara had produced previously.  
"D-Deidara?" she moaned, looking upwards and seeing him sitting near the head of the bird, his back turned on her.  
"How are you feeling?" he asked in reply.  
She was a bit baffled, trying to remember anything that had happened earlier in the day. It all had seemed like a big dream, until now, when the reality of everything started to kick back in.  
"What happened?" she said, trying to sit up further. Her neck suddenly shot with pain and she dropped back to the position she'd been in.  
"You were gone for a really long time. Tobi kept bugging me to come look for you. Good thing I did, because it seemed you'd gotten yourself into quite a little situation with some bandits. Hm." he explained, seemingly trying to make her have some sort of gratitude towards him.  
Kimara didn't reply, but instead looked around more, examining her body for more injuries besides her neck. She suddenly noticed what had been covering her up and keeping her warm; an Akatsuki cloak. She looked back to Deidara, whom wasn't wearing his. Her cheeks touched a bit of pink.  
"Is this your cloak?" she asked obviously.  
"Yeah. You looked cold," he said, almost flatly.  
"Oh . . . thanks, Deidara."  
He slightly perked up at her appreciative comment and he turned his head to Kimara. There was a silence.  
"It'll take us a while to get back. You should get some rest. Hm." he returned his gaze forward.  
She looked down, resting her cheek back upon the bird. Closing her eyes, she attempted to drift back off to sleep, but she just couldn't bring herself to it. She laid there motionlessly for several minutes, becoming antsy and restless, finally having to sit upright. The wind braced against her, so she pulled the cloak up around her shoulders and amerced her body within it, holding it together from the inside.  
"Deidara?" she whined.  
"Hm?"  
". . .Nevermind." she sighed, averting her eyes away.  
She got a glimpse of the ground far below and nearly broke out into a panic attack. Her feet went numb with fear, so she clenched her eyes shut tightly. Deidara peered back over to her, seeing the fear written all over her face, and chuckled to himself. He crawled down to her and took a seat in front of her, smirking devilishly.  
"Hey,"  
"Wh-what?" Kimara shook, peeking one eye less than a sliver open.  
"It's not that bad, once you get used to it. Hm."  
"I highly doubt that," she argued distastefully.  
"Whatever, hm. I'll prove it to you sometime."  
"In your dreams, maybe." she rolled her eyes.  
"Kimara, could I ask you a question? Hmm?"  
"Sure, I guess."  
"Why did you join the Akatsuki? Everything I've ever heard about you was always about how powerful you were and how loyal you were to your village. All the other members are baffled as to why you want to join us, since you clearly hate us all with a passion.  
"And, another thing," he continued, "everyone wants to know what happened in your past. The Leader seems to be the only one that knows about it, but it clearly has had a big impact on the way you act now. So, what's the deal? Hmm?"  
Kimara looked down at her palms, her left one being bandaged. To everyone else it seemed like nothing much, because a lot of other ninjas wear them, but to Kimara they were different. They hid her horrible deformity and the awful secret she'd been cursed with ever since she was a child.  
She contemplated whether or not to let Deidara in so quickly, after all she still hated him. But, on the other hand, she had joined the Akatsuki and now had no choice but to be committed to it and Deidara was her partner now.  
"I guess I can tell you. But, if you're just asking me this just so you can report back to all your little Akatsuki buddies, then you can forget it," she dictated.  
"I won't breathe a word of it," he swore, charmingly holding up two fingers as a sign of an honorable promise.  
"Fine. Well, I guess it started before I was even born, if you think about it. My father was Mizuki, an instructor at the ninja academy and a well-trusted chūnin. My mother's name was Tsubaki, a kunoichi that was less well known around the village. I don't really need to fill in much more detail, aside from that.  
"Anyway, when I was born, my father instantly noticed something strange about me. He did some research and found out about a rare ability, known as Mirrogyan, that was only bestowed upon a certain individual every couple hundred years or so. No one really knew much about it, other than the fact that it had the potential to be very powerful and most people that harbored this power usually ended up dying, either from it overpowering them or the person not being able to control it at a young enough age, so they were exterminated before it could progress.  
"When my father found this out, he kept it a deep secret from everyone, even my mother. When I got older, though, strange markings began to appear up my left arm and, whenever they did, I'd turn into a fit of power and rage, often hurting the people around me. After a few times of that happening, everyone avoided me and my father stopped taking me into town at all.  
"After a while, those markings stayed on my arm permanently, being the marking of the possessor of the Mirrogyan. My father had no choice but to keep my arm bandaged all the time to keep anyone from finding out.  
"When I was around ten-years-old, my father began to act strangely, often yelling at my mother and hardly ever being home. At the same time, my powers were getting worse and more out of control, even to the point where it was hurting me physically and leaving me powerless over what I was doing. To my father, it became obvious that something more had to be done.  
"That's when he met that bastard, Orochimaru. That snake promised that he could keep me and my secret safe and even teach me how to use my powers. My own father willingly handed me over to that horrible beast and I was ripped away from my home, my family, and everything I'd come to know and cherish.  
"Orochimaru didn't care about me, he only wanted to experiment on me to have the Mirrogyan for himself. Luckily, I harnessed enough control for a single moment to fight him away from me and escape. After that, I roamed all over the place, incognito."  
She took a breathe, depressed of reliving this horrible truth.  
"Then what, hmm?" Deidara asked, intrigued.  
"Well, eventually I made it back to Konoha. You see, I joined the Anbu Black Ops not long after I escaped Orochimaru, but I wasn't exactly happy about it. They'd apparently overseen me getting into a few brawls in various villages and thought I had a peculiar sort of power, but they didn't know what it was.  
"They made me join them and I carried out successful missions for years, until I was fourteen. I was sent out on a mission alone and it happened to be in the same region as the Hidden Leaf village. So, I basically just ran off and abandoned the Anbu against the rules. I can only assume that they figured I'd been killed, which is fine with me, so long as they don't catch me.  
"When I moved back, Mizuki had been shunned by the village and Tsubaki had moved to an even more secrete location, leaving our house abandoned. I moved in to it, forced to keep fending for myself. By that point, though, it didn't really bother me very much, since I'd been tugged around my whole life. I started to feel nothing for anyone, only aiming to harness my powers to become the strongest ninja to ever live.  
"Anyway, Lady Tsunade was the Hokage by that point and she had heard rumors of me, praising me as being near Sannin levels. She asked if I would assist in the training of one young squad of shinobi that seemed to be having some trouble. That's when I met Uzumaki Naruto and all the others. They were all only twelve or so and pathetic in comparison to myself. Their squad leader, Hatake Kakashi, was actually quite strong, though. I became part of their team from that point on.  
"I left for a few years and returned when I was eighteen, which is my current age. And, aside from all the little things in between, that's pretty much it. The only other thing is that, after a while of being around Naruto and everyone else in Konoha, I began to realize that bitterness was not the answer. I opened up and he was the first person I ever told about my Mirrogyan. The only problem was, since I had to hide and had no idea where to even begin trying to control my powers, I had no choice but to find another solution."  
"Which was us, hm?" Deidara chimed in.  
"Yes. Which I cannot stand. Jiraiya tried to teach me for a while, but he wasn't really much help."  
"I see."  
She became quiet again.  
Deidara could see the dismay written all over her face, but he decided to say nothing. They both rode silently back to the hideout.


	5. Chapter 5: Offering

_Deidara and Kimara walked silently down one of the many hallways, still not speaking. Kimara was unsure of where they were heading, but they soon ceased in front of one of the doors. She knew it wasn't the door to her room, so she only assumed it was the one to Deidara's.  
They turned simultaneously to face each other, Kimara having to look up a few inches at Deidara. It was a bit undoubtedly awkward.  
"Oh, yeah, here's your cloak back," she said, slipping the cloak off and handing it neatly to him.  
"Thanks. Hm." he took it from her nimble hands and put it back on his own body, not bothering to zip it up.  
For several more seconds they stood uncomfortably, before the door suddenly jerked open, revealing Tobi. He threw his arms up in rejoice and slammed into Kimara with a tight hug.  
"Oh, Kimara, I was worried about you! You didn't come back for such a long time and-"  
Before he could rant on, Kimara kneed him straight in the stomach, loosening his grip on her, and then swiftly rammed her foot into his stomach to push him away. He flew back into his room, slamming into a nightstand similar to the one in Kimara's own room.  
"Impressive. Hm." Deidara laughed.  
"I'm going to bed," she groaned, storming off down the hall, hoping she was going in the right direction.  
Luckily, she reached the familiar door and thrust it open. It was empty. There was no sign of Konan and Kimara noticed that the floor had been cleaned of all their paper extremities from the day before. A single folded rose rested on the nightstand, marked with Kimara's name on the side. She walked over to it and picked it up, unfolding it and flattening it out on the tabletop. It read,_

_**Kimara-chan,**_

Pein and I had to run out on a special assignment and I will be absent for a few days. I cleaned up the floor, but feel free to make more origami if you become restless.  
Konan.

_Kimara folded the paper back into a rose and returned it to the table. She thought it was very thoughtful of Konan to leave her a little note like that, but all she could really focus on at the moment was sleep. Uninterrupted sleep in a cozy bed, with warm sheets and no worries about anything.  
Her legs were getting wobbly like newborn deer's, but her clothes were sweaty and dirty, which she couldn't stand. She stepped to the bag next to her bed, the only possessions she had brought along with her when she'd left the village. It was only some clothes, her headband, some extra scrolls, bandages, and things like that. She rummaged through it, pulling out some clean underclothes and one of her oversized shirts that she slept in.  
Quickly as she could, she stripped down, throwing all her dirty clothes into a big pile and replacing them with her clean night clothes. She was beyond too tired to even attempt to take them to be washed, so she just left them and collapsed onto the bed, almost instantly falling into a deep sleep._

When she awoke, presumably the next morning, she had a pounding headache and her stomach roared for nourishment. She rolled off the bed and into the floor, closing her eyes for a minute so her head would gather itself. Standing slowly to her feet, she walked to the dirty pile of clothes and felt around for the pouch that always hung near her hip, finally locating it and reaching inside until she felt the map.  
She retracted the map and opened it up, looking around the many different paths, seeking a kitchen. Once she found the open area that appeared to be the kitchen, she folded the map and let it fall back to the floor, walking out into the damp halls.  
Though she was still very sleepy, she managed to carry herself all the way to the kitchen, which turned out to be a rather large room. There was a stove, cabinets, a refrigerator, a sink, and a table large enough to fit all the members at once sat amongst the large room. Kimara figured they rarely ever ate together, so she wondered why they even had a table this big.  
She peered over and also noticed an archway leading into something that resembled a living room. There was a large sofa, a coffee table, and some chairs. At least, that's what she could make out from her point of view.  
Looking back to the stove, she reached into one of the cabinets above and found it stocked with packets of instant ramen. Which, just so happened to be her specialty. She pulled down a couple of packs, then reached to a cabinet underneath the stove to find a large pot and few decorative bowls.  
She turned the stove on and filled the pot with water, waiting for it to heat up. When it finally started to boil, she tossed in a few of the ramen packets and sprinkled the chicken flavoring over them. Digging around in the other cabinets, she found an assortment of spices and powders, which quite excited her. Grabbing up some garlic powder, dill spice, salt, pepper, and a few other things, she went to work preparing the ramen, until the six minutes in had to cook was up.  
Just as she finished filling up a few bowls with steaming ramen and took her seat at the table, Deidara walked in, wearing the same clothes he'd been in the night before. He rubbed his eyes and took a steep inhalation of the air.  
"Something smells good. Hm." he yawned.  
Kimara quickly shot up from the table and grabbed one of the full bowls, offering it over to Deidara.  
"Have one." she smiled.  
Deidara, in a stupor, took the bowl from her and sat down in the chair next to Kimara. He could hardly keep his eyes open, as he rested his head in his hand and let the steam from the ramen hit him in the face. His stomach rumbled, so he took the chopsticks between his fingers and gathered up some of the noodles, blowing to cool them off. Meanwhile, Kimara was already slurping away at her bowl, not even bothering to have any sort of table manners.  
He glared to her and then back to the noodles, shoving them into his mouth and taking them in. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he froze for a moment.  
"Wow, Kimara, this is actually really good!" he praised in between bites.  
"Thanks," she replied.  
Just then, someone else made their way into the room. Kimara looked up and gazed upon the tallest man she'd ever seen, his face hidden behind a hood and mask. His eyes were harsh and glowing green and he looked overall intimidating. The two of them just looked at each other.  
At that same moment, Hidan quickly came pacing up next to the huge man.  
"Well, good morning, Kakuzu!" Hidan said in a sarcastic manner.  
Kakuzu only growled.  
"Hey, who's been cooking?" Hidan said, grabbing up a bowl of ramen and pouring it down his throat.  
"That would be me, Hidan," Kimara spoke up.  
"Wow! This is great! Who would have guessed this broad could cook?" he harked to himself.  
Kimara glared daggers towards him, but he wasn't paying her much mind.  
"Come on, Hidan. We have to get going," Kakuzu spoke up in a harsh, deep voice.  
"Oh, shut up, Kakuzu. You just need to learn how to relax."  
"Now, Hidan."  
"Whatever."  
The two of them walked off out of the room, which actually put Kimara at ease. Although, she wasn't exactly thrilled to be left alone with Deidara either.  
"Hey, Deidara," she spoke up quietly, looking into her bowl of broth.  
"Hm?"  
"I just wanted to thank you again for saving me last night."  
"Don't mention it. Hm."  
"Tobi must have really been complaining a lot to make you want to come look for me." she smirked slyly, hinting at something.  
"Yeah - Well, he was being really annoying. Hm."  
Kimara looked to Deidara and he couldn't help but look back. The instant they locked eyes, Kimara's turned a deep red color and rings appeared inside her irises. Suddenly, Deidara outburst,  
"Okay, I was a little concerned too!"  
"Thought so." Kimara laughed, closing her eyes and returning them to normal.  
"What did you just do!"  
"Well, there are some portions of my Mirrogyan I can control. For example, I can get inside people's minds and mess with them. It's very handy to use against an opponent in battle. All I have to do is look them straight in the eyes and I can make them think whatever I please, which often causes them to go crazy.  
"With you, I just got inside your head and made you feel so subconsciously guilty about blaming Tobi for coming to find me that you had to tell me the truth." she finished.  
"Hm." he grimaced.  
"Anyway, I've got some laundry to do, so I'll catch up with you later."  
Deidara didn't say anything, but watched her walk away. She had such a tough exterior, yet she walked with such grace. It was almost as if she were a walking piece of art, in a certain sense. In the recesses of his mind, Deidara bit his lip and thought of what it would be like to have her model for him so he could sculpt every inch of her delicate skin.  
He shook his head and tried to cleanse his mind of such thoughts. It was at that moment that Tobi came crashing into the room. Never had Deidara been so glad to have his idiot partner show up.  
"Mmm, Deidara, something smells delicious!" Tobi squealed. He got sight of the last steaming bowl of ramen and took it up into his hand, spinning around to sit next to Deidara at the table.  
Tobi turned to the side and stuffed his face, quickly relishing the entire bowl. Deidara didn't even bother to try and sneak a peek at his friend's face for once.  
"Sempai, what's on your mind?"  
"None of your business, Tobi. Hm."  
"Oh, come on, Deidara, you can tell me! It's about Kimara, isn't it? I can see that you like her." he waved his finger at Deidara in a matter-of-fact fashion.  
Deidara growled and pushed himself up from the table, storming off. Tobi called after him, but he didn't stop or even listen.  
A little ways down the hallway, Deidara passed the laundry room. He peered in and saw Kimara leaned on the drier, staring down through the top and tossing in her dirty clothes.  
"Uh," he uttered accidentally.  
Startled, she turned to face him.  
"Oh, hey, Deidara," she said questionably. "What do you want?"  
He didn't have a answer.  
"Okay, whatever."  
"Wait!" Deidara shouted. Kimara stared at him as if he had gone mad. "I was wondering if you'd take me up on that offer." he covered cleverly.  
"Offer?"  
"You know, showing you how great it is to ride through the sky."  
"Oh, please. I hate heights and, had I not been so out of it last night, I would have totally freaked out."  
"Kimara-chan, we're partners now. You've got to learn to trust me and, besides, my clay bird is the most efficient way to get around most of the time. You're going to have to get used to it sooner or later."  
Even though she hated to admit it, he made a pretty good point. That clay bird saved a lot of time and trouble, which she'd learned the hard way.  
"Come on, Kimara, what do you say? Hmmm?"  
She thought for a minute, still unsure. Just then, Deidara reached out and took her lightly by the hand, shooting her a comforting smile. Without another word, he yanked her out of the room, dragging her outside.  
"Deidara, wait! My clothes!" she tried to protest, but it was too late.


	6. Chapter 6: Early Sunsets

**_ Outside, the wind broke against her bare legs and shot through her thin shirt. She was pissed that Deidara had just dragged her outside, not even letting her answer or put her normal clothes back on._**  
**_ He produced his giant clay bird and jumped onto it, helping Kimara up as well. He sat with his legs splayed to the sides and pulled Kimara to sit the same way behind him. She was shaky before the bird even took off._**  
**_ "You can hang on to me, if it'll make you feel better. Hmm," he told her, a bit sensually._**  
**_ She rolled her eyes and growled under her breath,_**  
**_ "As if." _**  
**_ All of a sudden, the bird whirred straight up into flight, jolting Kimara backwards. She squealed and tightly wrapped her arms around Deidara's waist, burying her cheek into his back and clenching her eyes tightly shut. She heard Deidara grunt satisfactorily. Normally, she would have punched him square in the face, but she was too afraid to even move, holding Deidara closer to give her some sort of comfort._**  
**_ They flew quickly for a few minutes, but steadily slowed down to gliding along. She felt a bit safer, so she released the tight grip she had on Deidara, but didn't let go completely. He was like her safety net._**  
**_ "I hate you, Deidara." she shivered. He just chuckled to himself and looked onwards._**  
**_ They flew around for a few hours at least, making Kimara jumpy. She hated having to look to Deidara for comfort, she hated being so high up on a lowly bird made of clay, and she hated not being in control of her fear._**  
**_ "Hey, it's late and we've been out here forever! Shouldn't we get back?" she shouted._**  
**_ "No. We don't have any assignments for a few days, so we have all the time in the world," he replied smugly._**  
**_ "Ugh," she groaned._**  
**_ She looked off to the side, gazing at the vast sky. It was turning a beautiful shade of pink, combined with different shades of orange and magenta. Kimara couldn't deny that it was quite stunning and filled her with good emotions, causing her to, unknowingly, softly hug up to Deidara even more, lightly resting her cheek onto his back again, still staring at the sunset._**  
**_ Deidara, feeling Kimara's gentle grip, blushed touchily pink, surprised that she'd actually show a soft side. An indeterminable feeling welled in the pit of his stomach, but he had no idea what to think of it. He cleared his throat and tried to utter something out, but nothing came._**  
**_ "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Deidara finally spoke quietly, smiling lightly over his shoulder._**  
**_ "Yeah," she replied dreamily. "I remember watching it once with my father, before he left. After he was gone, I'd go up to the big mountain that was near my house and watch it alone, hoping he was watching it too."_**  
**_ Deidara didn't know what to say, so he remained quiet. It was truly hard to believe the way she was acting right now, seeing as everyone branded her as soulless, rude, short-tempered, and a "demon"._**  
**_ "You're pretty deep, hm?" he chuckled lightly._**  
**_ "I guess you could say that." she laughed in return. "Only, unlike you, I keep all my feelings locked up inside."_**  
**_ "Maybe I can help you with that."_**  
**_ "Huh?"_**  
**_ Just as Kimara questioned him, Deidara grabbed her hands and removed them from around his waist. Kimara quickly began to quiver and panic._**  
**_ "Deidara, what are you doing!?" she shouted._**  
**_ He didn't speak, but stood up, turning to pull her up along with him. She tried to fight him, as her legs trembled, but she feared struggling too much, scared of falling to her death._**  
**_ Finally, Deidara restrained her, turning her to face the front of the bird and standing behind her to hold her tightly around the waist. He rested his chin onto her shoulder, staring while she clenched her eyes shut tightly._**  
**_ "Come on, open your eyes," he beckoned._**  
**_ "No way," she replied._**  
**_ Deidara sighed a bit and slid his hands down Kimara's arms, interlacing their fingers together. She peeked her eyes open slightly, curious as to what he was doing._**  
**_ "Tell me, Kimara, what's your opinion of art? Hmm?"_**  
**_ "What! Do your really think now is the best time to discuss this!?"_**  
**_ "Just trying to calm you down. Hm."_**  
**_ "Well," she played along, "I think art is something that makes people remember you. It's a statement and it's what true beauty is."_**  
**_ Deidara smirked and lightly brushed his lips past her cheek. She gasped harshly and her eyes shot wide open, her cheeks blushing rosily. It was at that moment that she got sight of the vastness that hung before her; a beautiful landscape that rendered the colors and inner emotions of a lovely painting. The wind graced through her hair, while the openness began to make her feel free and unkempt, a way that she had never once felt before. In this moment, she was not shackled by her past, her insecurities, or what was to come of her in the future. _**  
**_ She closed her eyes again, but it wasn't out of fear. She inhaled the air and felt the coolness of the evening, just as the sunset was almost gone._**  
**_ "Come on, Kimara, let's get back," Deidara said._**  
**_ She nodded dreamily in agreement._**


	7. Chapter 7: Melodies

_It seemed that, for the extent of the ride back to the hideout, Kimara wasn't even in her conscious body. Everything seemed like a dream and she only wished that reality wasn't as it was. _

_ As soon as the giant clay bird landed and the two made their way back into the hideout, the happiness slowly faded away and the realization of actuality hit Kimara once again. She slumped over slightly, her mind filling with troubling thoughts, while Deidara took notice. _

_ "Something wrong, hm?" he asked. Without looking at him, she replied, _

_ "No." _

_ Before he could question further, two figures entered in front of them from the shadows down the hall. Kimara perked up and neutralized her expression, as she saw that it was Konan and Pein. _

_ "Deidara," Pein said somberly. "I need to speak with you."_

_ "Huh?" Deidara uttered, surprised. _

_ "Konan?" Kimara asked, surprised herself. "I thought you were going to be gone for a few days?"_

_ "We hit a dead end in our search, so we came back early," she told her. _

_ "Kimara, these are yours." Pein handed forward a folded cloak with a small box on top. "Treat them with care." _

_ "Thanks, I will." she promised. _

_ "Deidara," Pein directed back to the man at Kimara's side. "Come with me."_

_ Kimara looked up to Deidara, who walked forward to follow the leader without even giving her another glimpse. She then looked to Konan and was met with a light smile. _

_ "So, where did you and Deidara run off to?" Konan asked as the two walked side-by-side down the hall. _

_ "I was just a little overwhelmed, so Deidara took me out for a ride," she explained. _

_ "Hm," Konan mumbled to herself. "That's understandable. Making a transition like this, away from your friends."_

_ Kimara instantly thought of everyone she had left behind. She thought specifically about Naruto. He had been so hurt when Sasuke left the village and had turned to her for condolence. He became one of her closest friends, the only person in a long time to get her to open up. Now, she had committed an egregious betrayal, probably to never be forgiven or accepted by them again. Maybe she was just like her father after all._

_ When they reached their room, Kimara placed the folded cloak down on her bed and held the small box accompanying it. She slid the top off and saw the ring nestled inside the comfy black padding. The jewel was solid black with a symbol in red that meant "demon". It didn't really surprise her. She removed the ring and slipped it onto her left index finger, over the bandages that ran down her fingers._

_ "Kimara, could I ask you something?" Konan suddenly spoke. _

_ "Sure, what is it?"_

_ "Why do you keep your left arm covered with bandages?" _

_ Kimara looked down at her arm, as if she hadn't even realized it was bandaged._

_ "I've kept it this way ever since I was little. There are markings that go all the way to my shoulder and they never go away. It's the symbol of the one that possess the Mirrogyan. That's why I have to keep it hidden; I don't want just anyone to know I'm the one. Although, it seems the secret's already out more than I care for it to be."_

_ "I see. Have you figured out what abilities you can control yet?" _

_ "In a sense. I have a few tricks I've learned, but I know there's so much more power inside. You know, I think everyone might be right; there may very well be a demon in me." _

_ The room went silent. _

_ "Can I ask one more thing?" Konan pressed. _

_ "Of course."_

_ "Do you care for Deidara?" _

_ "What!" Kimara nearly chocked._

_ "It's alright," she assured Kimara. "I'm only asking because I feel like he's quite taken with you."_

_ "Why would you say that?"_

_ "I just know these things."_

_ "Well, I don't care much for him," Kimara blushed and turned away. "But, maybe he's not as bad as I first thought." _

_ Konan smiled lightly to herself and got ready for bed. Kimara did the same, pondering Konan's words and thinking of Deidara at the same time. Had she actually felt something in slightest for him when they had been alone? Nevermind that, it didn't matter. _

_ Hastily, she pushed the thought aside and prepared for bed. She was still getting use to the way things worked in the Akatsuki and it was clear that a task could be sprung on her at any time. Better get her rest while she could. _

_ She laid her head down onto her pillow, facing the wall. A soft melody played through her mind, along with Deidara's sweet voice, until she fell asleep. _

_ Meanwhile, back in the Konoha village, Naruto was in a bit of a heated argument with Lady Tsunade._

_ "Naruto, calm down-"_

_ "No!" Naruto shouted and slammed his fists down onto her desk. "We already lost Sasuke! We're not losing Kimara too!" _

_ "Naruto, they both left of their own free will! There's nothing we can do!" _

_ "I'm going after her!"_

_ "I cannot allow that." Tsunade swiftly stood to her feet._

_ "You know, it might not be such a bad idea," Jiraiya said, stepping into the room. _

_ "What?" Tsunade questioned. "What gives you the right to intervene in this?"_

_ "Tsunade, we know Orochimaru is already after Kimara. She may have left of her own free will, but what will we do if Orochimaru gets a hold of her again?" _

_ "I think Kimara is perfectly capable of handling herself. Even if she wasn't, she isn't our responsibility. She abandoned the village-"_

_ "She didn't," Naruto spoke darkly. "She only left because she didn't want to get out of control and hurt someone she cares about. She was looking out for the village, not trying to abandon it."_

_ "Naruto, I understand you two were close." Tsunade sat back down calmly. "It makes since that she left of noble reasons, but that's not the point. The point is, she's with the Akatsuki now. I can't risk shinobi lives to go after her. The members of that organization are bloodthirsty and ruthless. They undoubtedly know that Kimara is the Yokai by now and they're going to make sure she stays within their grasp. It's just too dangerous." _

_ "I'll go with him," Jiraiya proposed. _

_ Naruto and Tsunade both looked at him, surprised. _

_ "Really? Alright! I'm going to get ready! Thanks, Pervy Sage, I owe you one!" Naruto said, rushing out of the room. _

_ "Naruto! Wait!" Tsunade called after him but it was too late. "Jiraiya, you can't be serious about this!"_

_ "Look, we both know the kid's going to do this whether we tell him to or not. Besides, I'm going to try and talk some sense into him along the way."_

_ "Fine," Tsunade groaned. "Don't let anyone else know about this. And you better keep Naruto safe, Jiraiya."_

_ Jiraiya smiled slightly and made his way out the door, leaving Tsunade with an uneasy feeling. She spun around in her chair to look out at the sky above the town. A groan passed through her lips._

_ "Kimara," she whispered, "you won't turn out like your father. You're better than that. I just hope you realize it." _


	8. Chapter 8: Dark Days

___**The next morning, Kimara awoke with a strange, precarious feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her head was swimming and her thoughts were uncertain. She looked to her side and, to her surprise, realized that she'd actually woken up before Konan.  
Warily, Kimara climbed out of bed, popping her spine as she sat upright. She grabbed the cloak she'd placed next to her bed the night before and slid it over her shoulders, not bothering to zip it up. Then, she seized her belt of scrolls and fastened them around her hips, slid on her shoes, and slithered quietly out the door.  
Unclear of where she was going, Kimara yawned and stretched her arms out.  
"I wonder where everyone is," she whispered to herself.  
It was strange that she hadn't encountered at least ONE other Akatsuki member. All of a sudden, just seconds after this thought had crossed her mind, she noticed a shadow rounding the corner in front of her. It was Deidara.  
"Deidara!" Kimara said, taking off towards him.  
Drearily, Deidara looked up and quickly realized whom was coming at him. His somber face considerably lightened and a faint smile arose as he saw Kimara's luminous eyes.  
"You seem contented today. Hm."  
Immediately, Kimara noticed the fondness is Deidara's tone, something of which she'd never heard before.  
"Deidara? Are you okay?"  
He just stood and looked at her.  
"Deidara-" she tried to speak again, but he suddenly lunged and pulled her into a strong hug.  
Her cheeks burned and she was left desperately confused. Unthinkingly, Kimara wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.  
"What's going on, Deidara?" Kimara asked quitely.  
"Kimara," he spoke gravely, seriously. "I'm not supposed to tell you this,"  
At those words, she immediately understood the intensity of the situation.  
"But I feel like I have to," he went on, his words drifting quickly and lowly into her ear. "If anyone finds out I told you this, they'll kill me."  
"What are you talking about?" Kimara squeaked.  
"The Leader told me that some of your companions from the Leaf Village are coming after you,"  
"Naruto," Kimara whimpered, her eyes widening.  
"Yes. I was instructed to distract you and make sure you stayed in the hideout, so they could take care of him without you even knowing."  
"Deidara - why? Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because," he paused.  
"WHY?"  
"Because I care about you Kimara, okay? I know I've only know you a short time, but I feel like I've known you forever. You're not malicious like the rest of us, Kimara. You're too good for the likes of us."  
"Deidara, I don't know what to say,"  
"You don't have to say anything."  
"What should I do? I can't just sit here when I know they're going to kill Naruto!"  
"Run." Deidara said, gripping Kimara by the shoulders and pulling her away to look into her eyes.  
"What?" she searched his face, but couldn't quite read it.  
"Just run. Get out of here. Find Naruto. I'll act like I never saw you, give you a few hours to get as far away as you can. Then, I'll say I went to your room and you were missing."  
"Deidara, if they find out you did this-"  
"I don't care."  
"What if I don't come back. What if I never see you again?"  
"Shh," Deidara took Kimara by the cheek and drew her lips to his.  
A moment later, they parted and glanced fiercely into each others eyes.  
"Come on, I'll have to open the entrance for you."  
Deidara took Kimara by the wrist and proceeded to run down the hallway. Both of them hoped they wouldn't encounter anyone else, or the plan would be ruined. Luckily, they made it to the entrance without issue.  
Quickly, Deidara opened the entrance and took Kimara's shoulders again.  
"Be careful Kimara," he told her.  
"I will."  
They embraced once last time for a brief moment.  
"Go."  
"Goodbye, Deidara."  
Kimara turned and jumped high above the ground, straight into the abyss below, instantly running faster than she'd ever ran before.  
"This is it," she told herself. **_


	9. Chapter 9: Betrayal

___**"Naruto," Jiraiya said, as the two were settled against a tree, enjoying some food.  
"Hm?" Naruto replied, stuffing his face.  
"Do you really think we should be going after Kimara? What if the Akatsuki has turned her into a puppet? You know how much power she has, Naruto, and if they're controlling her she'll-"  
"Enough," Naruto said darkly. "I'm sick of everyone trying to talk me out of this. I couldn't save one of my friends, but I won't lose another. Kimara is important to me and I'm bringing her home.  
"If you're just here to talk me out of it, you should have just let me come alone. I'm doing this no matter what." Naruto told him.  
Jiraiya pondered a moment and stood to his feet.  
"We better get going then. We need to cover as much ground as possible before the sun goes down, since we don't actually have a clear idea of where we're going."  
Naruto looked up to his mentor, whom smiled down at him. A wide grin crossed his own face, as he packed his leftovers and jumped to his feet as well.  
"Alright! Let's go!" he shouted, taking off through the trees.  
"I'll never understand that kid," Jiraiya said, rushing after him.**_

Kimara was rushing past limbs that grazed roughly against her skin, frantically checking over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure she wasn't being followed. She had no idea how long she had been running, but her adrenaline wasn't even beginning to wear off. She was used to averting people that were chasing her, since she had been part of the Anbu, but something about this seemed different. Maybe she was still confused about Deidara. Either way, she knew she had to focus and track down Naruto.

While back at the hideout, Deidara paced the halls restlessly, trying to find the right moment to confront the Leader. Suddenly, as he watched the ground, a pair of feet came into view. He looked up and saw none other than Pein standing before him.  
"Deidara, where is Kimara?" the Leader said forcibly.  
"What do you mean? Hm?"___**  
Pein thrust his hand at Deidara and grabbed his collar, pulling him toe-to-toe.  
"Don't treat me like I'm foolish, Deidara. Zetsu overheard your whole plan. She would still be here if it wasn't for you."  
"I-"  
"Shut up. We're going to get her back."  
"I can't, I-"  
"I didn't mean you, Deidara."  
Just then, Kakuzu and Hidan entered in behind Pein. Pein threw Deidara to their feet and they lifted him up by the arms.  
"Watch him. And if we can't get Kimara back, we'll kill you."  
Pein turned swiftly and walked off, as Kakuzu and Hidan dragged Deidara away.  
"Kimara," Deidara thought to himself.**_

Kimara jumped from the trees and landed on the ground below. She propped herself against a tree and closed her eyes tightly, her heaving breath the only thing that could be heard. She clasped her hands together and held up two fingers.  
"Mirrogyan," she whispered, a wide range of vision opening up in her mind.  
She expanded her vision for a couple of miles and suddenly caught sight of two bodies making their way through the forest, heading her direction.  
"Naruto!" she jumped up and began racing towards them, faster even than before.  
It was hardly even a few minutes later that she paused and could hear them rustling in the near distance.  
"Naruto!" she called out.  
Naruto suddenly stopped.  
"What is it?" Jiraiya asked.  
"Listen," Naruto said.  
"Naruto!" they heard called out again.  
"It's Kimara!" Naruto said, rushing towards her voice.  
Soon, he saw her white hair up in the trees and she saw his bright orange and black clothing on the ground below. She dropped back down from the trees and the two instantly rammed into an embracing hug, as if it'd been years since they'd last seen one another.  
"Kimara, it's really you," Naruto smiled.  
"What are you doing here? Don't you know that what you're doing is crazy? I left the village, why would you even try to come find me? I figured all of you would hate me."  
"Some of us were angry, but I know why you really left. You didn't want us to get hurt. You were scared. But, you don't have to be! You can come back to the village and-"  
"Naruto," Kimara said softly, "it's not that easy. I made a pledge to the Akatsuki and if I break it, they will kill me. As long as I'm with them, I can keep them away from the village and work on my powers."  
"But-"  
"Naruto, please. You just don't understand," Kimara said, almost in tears.  
Suddenly, Kimara perked up. She heard a noice in the distance, faint, but still there.  
"Get out of here, Naruto," she said, her eyes focused on something they could not see.  
"Kimara-"  
"GO!"  
"Come on, Naruto!" Jiraiya said, suddenly realzing what Kimara was talking about.  
He grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and pulled him away from Kimara, ducking into some nearby bushes.  
"Keep quiet," he told Naruto.  
Naruto suddenly saw several people surround Kimara.  
Kimara stood in the middle of Pein, Konan, Kisame, and Itachi. Pein stepped forward and glared down upon her.  
"Kimara, you betrayed the Akatsuki. I said we would not hesitate to kill you and those words remain true."


	10. Chapter 10: No Matter What

__**_"Kimara, you betrayed the Akatsuki. I said we would not hesitate to kill you and those words remain true."  
"I realize that, sir, but I can explain myself," Kimara assured him.  
"Very well, but you should know that we're already aware that Deidara told you what we were going to do. Hidan and Kakuzu have been instructed to kill him if you do not come back with us."  
"I had no intention of _****not ****_coming back, sir. It's true, Deidara told me and I couldn't let you kill Naruto. I wanted to come handle this myself, so there would be no need to kill him."  
"I see. Where is he?" Pein questioned.  
"Gone. I told him to get out of here, I'm part of the Akatsuki now."  
"I don't believe her," Itachi said.  
"Yeah, he's probably around here somewhere," Kisame added.  
Pein and Kimara kept their eyes locked.  
"It matters not," Pein said, "I believe Kimara is true on her word. If she was going to run, she would have tried to fight us or kept running when she knew were coming."  
"I said I was staying with the Akatsuki and I meant it."  
"Good. Konan, escort Kimara back to the hideout," Pein instructed, as he and the others took off in a flash.  
Kimara shyly looked to Konan, whom just lightly smiled at her, as she always did.  
"Are you disappointed in me?" Kimara asked, unsure of why the question had come out.  
"No, Kimara. I understand. Don't worry, everything will turn out alright."  
Konan placed a hand on Kimara's shoulder.  
"Konan, I think it's safe to consider you my best friend in the Akatsuki."  
"I suppose so," Konan smiled.  
As the two walked away, Kimara looked back and dropped something onto the ground. When they had finally faded away, Naruto ran out and knelt down onto the ground and became still.  
"Naruto?" Jiraiya said, stepping behind him.  
Naruto ignored him and carefully picked up Kimara's headband out of the dirt. His lips trembled and he closed his eyes tightly, fighting the tears. He gripped the headband tightly and stood to his feet, staring at the sky.  
"Kimara will come back one day. She hasn't betrayed us. She left this for me to hang on to until she returns. She wanted me to know that she's still my friend and she's still part of our village." Naruto displayed proudly.  
"I like that idea, kid. Now let's get back to the village. What do you say?"  
"Yeah," Naruto agreed, still staring off into the distance._**

Back at the hideout, Kimara parted ways with Konan to be alone and think. She made her way to Deidara's room and creaked the door open. She saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, looking down.  
"Deidara?" she whispered entering his room. His eyes lit up when he saw her.  
"Kimara!" he rose to his feet and embraced her as she ran to him.  
"I'm glad you're back," he told her.  
"It's not so bad here, you know," Kimara said. "I think I can bear it."

*Just a note: At this part forward, I was listening to the song "No Matter What" by Papa Roach and it really conveys the mood of the moment. If you can, you should totally listen to it right now for effect.

They pulled back and smiled at one another. Kimara blushed.  
"Um, Deidara, there's something I need to tell you,"  
"Hm?"  
"When I thought I wasn't going to see you again - it kind of hurt. I've lost so many people in my life and, honestly, I started feeling something for you. The thought of losing you too really stung. I love you, Deidara, and I'm never leaving again. I'll be by your side from now on."  
"Kimara, I feel the same way. I've never really had anyone. There's just something about you that entices me. I love you too, Kimara. I'm going to make sure nothing ever happens to you. You'll always be safe with me. Hm."  
"No one has ever said that to me before," Kimara said, tears trickling down her face. "Everyone that was supposed to love me and protect me has abandoned me."  
"Not anymore." Deidara said, pulling her into a soft kiss.  
"Let's get some sleep," Deidara whispered, after a few minutes.  
"Agreed."  
Kimara climbed into Deidara's bed and he followed, snuggling his body against hers. Soon, they were fast asleep. Neither of them had a clue what the future held, but they knew everything would fall into place. They had each other now, no matter what.


	11. Epilogue

There she lie, crumbled on the ground, cloak torn and battered, just like her skin, tears streaming down her face, while her whole body shivers. She's in a the center of a forest, but she's confused and doesn't remember how she got there. It's happened again and she cannot cope with it this time. She let down her walls for the first time in her life, let people in, and now they're all dead. Deidara, Konan, Hidan, all of them. Orochimaru is hot on her trail, able to catch up to her at any moment, and there is nothing she can do about it. Her mind is shattered; her emotions are in ruins.  
She just wants to be dead. Nothing more. She isn't strong enough to keep going anymore.  
Suddenly, a dark figure appears at her side. She knows it is that snake of a man. She waits for him to come into view, but - it isn't Orochimaru? No it's . . .  
"T-Tobi?" Kimara chokes out.  
"Hello, Kimara," he replies, his voice deeper and not at all childish, as it always had been.  
"Wh-"  
"Don't speak," he knelt down by her side.  
"Wh-what? Don't tell me not to s-speak. What's going on? Why are you alive?"  
"Kimara, there is a lot for you to learn," he said.  
Suddenly, he chuckled, taking hold of his mask. He pulled it to the side and Kimara's eyes widened to the point of bursting.  
He allowed her to gaze at his half-crushed face for a moment, then slid the mask back on.  
"I know how you feel. Everyone is gone. You're alone again and you have a menance chasing after you. I will be the one who protects you now, if you choose to follow me."  
Kimara nodded a few times, weakly.  
"Good."  
Obito took Kimara up into his arms and carried her away.  
"This is the dawn of a new era."


End file.
